A Ghost Standing at the Foot of My Bed
by Fire The Canon
Summary: When Rose travels to Australia for a holiday, she thinks she's going to get some peace and quiet and enjoy her time alone. But when an ex follows her, and then her boyfriend, she knows it's not going to be as peaceful as she had hoped. Rated M for language and future sexual content.
1. Tankini

_**Whole story written for my Word of the Day Challenge on HPFC**_

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**Tankini**

_A woman's two piece swimsuit consisting of a bikini bottom and a tank top_

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"You're a tease, you know that?"

Rose hesitated for just a second before picking up her towel to dry herself. She had been having such a lovely time in the water and under the sun. Why did he have to ruin it?

"What are you doing here?" she said, plonking down into the sand.

"I'm here on business," came the reply. He sat down beside her, blocking the sun. "Then I noticed a pretty red-head in the water and I just had to say hello."

"You just happened to be here on business the same time I am here on a holiday?" Rose looked at the young man from over the top of her sunglasses. He was a rather attractive man, she would never deny that. His light brown hair and green eyes played just a small part in why so many women and girls had been left with broken hearts over the years. His crooked smile had always set her heart on edge, and she hated that even now, he still had that effect on her. But after having her heart broken by him twice before, she had learnt her lesson. Never again.

He shrugged, grinning. "Coincidence, right?"

Rose rolled her eyes, returning her sunglasses all the way up her nose. "Hardly," she said. "I should never have told you I was coming here."

"You told me? I don't remember."

Rose snorted and lay down, soaking up the Australian sun. She needed this holiday after months of hard study for her NEWTs, and what better place was there than another country? She had heard a lot about the Australian beaches and they hadn't disappointed yet. Her hotel was just a few feet away from where she sat, and she had been every day since coming here a week ago.

"So, tell me, Bartley, what business brings you to Sydney?"

"International cooperation."

"That's funny, I thought you worked in the international transportation office."

"I did until a week ago."

"Wow, a coincidence if I've ever seen one."

"Does your boyfriend know you're here, flaunting your body for everyone to see?"

Rose sat up, looking around. "I don't see anyone other than you with his tongue out," she answered dryly. "And not all men are jealous arseholes, either."

"You obviously don't know your boyfriend as well as you think you do."

"Are you here for a reason, MacMillan, or did you just come to find out if I was being unfaithful to Scorpius or not?"

"I'm here because I'm being paid to be here. Not my fault you're out there swimming all but naked. I couldn't help but look."

"You're an arsehole, Bartley. And thanks for ruining my day." Rose snatched up her towel and her bag, and left her twice-ex-boyfriend on the beach. Why did he have to be such a prick to her? He didn't want her himself (sleeping with Stefania Zabini behind her back proved that), but as soon as someone else showed the slightest bit of interest he was there, making sure they didn't get too close. And now that he had followed her all the way to the Southern Hemisphere she knew he wasn't going to leave until he got something from her.

"Just fucking perfect," she mumbled, slamming the door to her hotel room so loudly the frame on the wall slipped slightly.

…

_"__Hey."_

_Sixteen-year-old Rose Wesley blushed violently as the popular Gryffindor boy – and also the best friend of her cousin – sat beside her. He was so confident in doing so that Rose (and all the other girls) couldn't help but turn red around him. _

_"__H-hi," she stammered, looking away. Why did James have to invite him? It was a family event, and he wasn't family. He was a nuisance with his good looks and smooth talking. And her dad was there._

_"__You're blushing, Rosie."_

_"__No I'm not." She choked on her words, feeling her ears burning as he stared at her. Rumour had it that Bartley MacMillan had taken a fancy to the younger cousin of James Potter, but a rumour was all it was. What would someone like him see in her? She didn't consider herself all that attractive, and he was quite experienced with girls. She hadn't even kissed anyone before, let alone done anything else. _

_He grinned. "I don't make you that uncomfortable, do I?"_

_He was also very blunt._

_"__No."_

_"__Good."_

_Rose wanted nothing more than to leave, but she couldn't think of a good enough excuse. What was worse was that she was almost certain he knew that she fancied him. He didn't need to rub it in._

_"__Nice place your grandparents have here," Bartley said, looking around. "It's big."_

_"__It has to be," Rose responded. "We couldn't fit all our family here otherwise."_

_Bartley laughed, and it wasn't just a light chuckle. He threw his head back and everything. She shifted uncomfortably._

_"__There's plenty of places to go and be alone, I bet."_

_"__Kind of."_

_"__Know of any places?"_

_Rose resisted the urge to gape. Was he suggesting…?_

_"__Rosie?"_

_"__Rose."_

_"__Rose?"_

_"__I…er… there's a few places I know of, I guess."_

_"__Care to take a walk?"_

_"__With you?"_

_Bartley nodded, holding out his hand for her to take. "There's something I've been meaning to ask you," he said. "And I don't think anyone should be around for it."_

…

"Oh, I thought you were the take away I ordered." Rose went to close the door but he stopped her with his hand.

"I taste better, I'm sure."

"I'm positive you don't."

Bartley forced the door open even further, and Rose relented, letting him into the apartment-like room.

"I thought I told you to leave me alone," she said bitterly, walking away from him.

"No, I believe you called me an arsehole and accused me of ruining your day. You said nothing about leaving you alone."

Rose scowled.

"What's the matter, Rosie?"

"Don't call me that."

"Don't you think it's fate that we came here to be together in the same city, on the same beach, at the same time?"

"No I think you're a stalker and followed me here," Rose answered, moving to the kitchen to get herself a drink of water. "We were over long ago, Bartley. You ended it when you jumped into bed with Zabini after telling me you loved me. Oh, and let's not forget the first time, either. I bet you didn't expect your face to be plastered on the front page when you snogged her, did you?"

Bartley gave no indication that he regretted his past discrepancies. He only moved closer to her, grinning. "Neither were ever as good as you, Rosie," he said.

Once upon a time, Rose would have been flustered by the closeness. But it seemed she had matured and he hadn't. Her feelings for him were long gone – they went when she'd found him with Stefania in _her _bed.

"Well, that's your loss, isn't it?" She moved away from him, refusing to meet his eye.

"Are you really happy with Scorpius?"

"He doesn't treat me like a piece of meat he can have when he wants and throw away when he's bored."

"It doesn't answer the question."

Feeling anger bubble inside her that she hadn't felt in her one week of peace, Rose spun around, her eyes shooting daggers at him.

"I don't need to answer to you, MacMillan!" she all but shouted. "I loved you once, but then I learnt from that very stupid mistake. I gave you two chances and you fucked them both up. Now that you're miserable with your life, don't come here trying to make mine just the same." Her hand flinched to where her wand was in her jeans. Bartley noticed and backed away. He had been at the other end of one of her curses before and it had landed him in hospital.

"Alright, I'll leave you alone. I'm staying at The Rusty Wizard if you want to find me."

"I don't. I want you out of my life."

Bartley made for the door, but before he left, he turned back. "For the record, _Weasley, _if you're not interested in me or any other bloke apart from Malfoy then don't go around flaunting yourself for every man and his dog to gawk at."

Furious, Rose shoved him out the door and slammed it in his face before he could say another word. "Get lost, MacMillan!" she cried from the other side. She rested her head against the hotel door, a single tear rolling down her cheek. So much for her perfect holiday. It had just been ruined by the same person who had ruined every other part of her life. Why did he still have to hurt her so?

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_**So basically I am letting the definition word inspire each chapter. So let's see where this goes :) I've done this one before with my story Grief. I made it to 40 chapters. And for the record, I know as well as any of you where this is going, so we are all in for a surprise I think, but I hope you enjoy each chapter.**_

_**Oh, and yes, I am still working on my main multi chapters. But one at a time, so I am finishing posting In This Together, then it will be I Thought I Hated Her, etc. I can't focus on 4 at once, I discovered. So if you are following any of those, have faith I WILL finish, but it may take some time :)**_


	2. Fulgent

**Fulgent**

Dazzlingly bright; radiant

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_"__So this is your secret hideaway?"_

_Rose smiled, turning her head to look back at the handsome boy behind her. "Sometimes," she confessed. "Sometimes it is nice to be alone."_

_"__Yet you took me here?"_

_Rose didn't say anything. She wasn't accustomed to boys… well boys that weren't related to her. What would James say if he knew his best mate and his favourite cousin had wandered off alone together?_

_"__So now that we're alone, I suppose I can say what I've been meaning to say." Bartley took a seat on a broken stool her grandfather had once used in his workshed. This was where all his failed experiments ended up, and Rose enjoyed playing with them._

_Rose's heart pounded in her chest as she stared at him. This was a prank of some sort. It had to be. This was Bartley MacMillan standing in front of her – the muscled, good-looking Gryffindor Beater. He had girls lining up to be with him. Why would he notice someone like her?_

_"__James would murder me in my sleep if he knew, but I rather fancy you, Rose." He said it with such ease. He was so confident, she doubted any girl had ever said no to him (with good reason, of course)._

_"__Oh." What else was she supposed to say?_

_Bartley chuckled, moving to stand in front of her. To her bewilderment, he took her hands in his and smiled. "You would do me the greatest honour, Rose Wesley, if you were to become my girlfriend."_

_Rose was speechless. This had to be a dream, right? This _had _been her dream for a long time._

_"__Rose?"_

_"__Y-yes," she managed, knowing she was a beetroot red. "Yes, I'd like to a lot."_

_Bartley beamed, appearing genuinely delighted by her response. "Wonderful!" he exclaimed. "I have just one other request."_

_"__Yes?"_

_"__Let's not tell James. At least not until the Quidditch season at Hogwarts is over."_

_Rose nodded, grinning. Yes, she understood his reasoning completely._

…

Rose only had to step away from the hotel door before her toes were covered in the soft, warm sand of the beach. She smiled, peering through the sunglasses at the dazzling, bright sun in the clear, blue sky. What a perfect day it was. Yesterday had been a dud, but today was going to be different, she was sure of it.

There was a shopping area just around the corner that she had been to almost every day as well. There were cafés and ice-cream parlours, as well as clothing stores which offered summer attire all year round. It was never this warm in England, even in summer. Here, it was January, the middle of the Australian summer, and it was scorching hot.

Her stomach was grumbling, eager for breakfast, and she knew of the perfect place to go. The owners of the little shop knew her by name now; they were always delighted to serve her, asking her question after question about England. Rose would happily talk to them – leaving the part out about her being a witch – and they would cook bacon, eggs and toast for her every morning.

She smiled as she entered, and the chef, Miles, waved at her. "Morning, Rose," he said cheerfully. "What are your plans for today?"

Rose shrugged. "The beach, I suppose. What else is there to do around here?"

Miles waved his arms around. "Here? Not much. The city is only a twenty minute train ride, though. You could go to Sydney Harbour, visit the Opera House, jet boating…."

Rose's eyes widened and Miles laughed. "It's not for everyone," he agreed. "But take a look around there. The beach surely gets tiring if you're there every day."

Rose shook her head. "Not at all," she assured him. "The water is lovely."

Miles didn't even bother to ask what she wanted to eat, but put two eggs on the frying pan, along with the bacon. Rose handed over the money and sat down at a table in the corner, the window overlooking the ocean.

She sat in silence for a long time, contemplating the events of yesterday. She had been stupid enough to tell Bartley where she was going, she should have expected it. He was an idiot and had tried on many occasions before to win her back from Scorpius. She should never have mentioned she was going alone.

It wasn't until Miles put the plate in front of her did she remember where she was. "You look distracted today," he observed.

Rose shook her head, smiling. "Just a minor incident yesterday," she told him. "Nothing major."

Miles nodded. "Oh well, can't be all fun and games, can it?"

Rose shook her head. "No, it can't," she agreed.

Miles grinned. "Well, if you ever need a tour guide, you know where to find me," he said. "I have tomorrow off."

Rose nodded, indicating she would consider his offer. Another man in her life was not what she needed right now, but Miles was a good person. She wasn't going to tell him that.

The breakfast was as good as it had been every other day and when she'd finished Rose left for the beach for another morning of the warm water and sun tanning. She was only planning on staying a few hours, considering Miles' suggestion of heading into the city to see what was around. She knew of a few wizarding destinations hidden amongst the Muggle places, but she was curious to explore everywhere. There was no time she had to go home – she could spend a month here if she really wanted to.

The beach was all but deserted when she arrived. There was a couple a little further down who were getting too close for Rose's liking; especially when to her right were a young family. The boy and girl, no older than four, were giggling as the waves covered their toes, sinking their feet into the wet sand.

Rose smiled as the little girl squealed when one wave sprayed water into her face, while her brother laughed at her. She always remembered playing by the water with her brother and cousins on Shell Beach as a child, but it was rare it was this sunny.

She spread her towel on some dry sand and lay down. It wasn't hot enough to burn yet, but warm enough to enjoy the day. She would stay for an hour or so and then catch one of those Muggle trains to the city. She'd had enough experience with them in her life to have a fair idea how to use one; she wasn't confident enough to Apparate to a place she wasn't familiar with.

Putting her sunglasses on she closed her eyes, excited for the day to come. She hoped it would definitely be better than the day before. No one was going to ruin her holiday.

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**_As I am trying to update regularly, chapters will be relatively short. Until I submit this as part of the Long Haul Comp, which has a minimum of 1.5k_**


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